Magic should shut down Dwight Howard for season

Fittingly, this is the only way such a strange, surreal and bittersweet ride could end.

The Magic must tell Dwight Howard not to play for them anymore this season…after days, weeks and months of begging him to do just the opposite.

Crazy, isn't it?

The Magic spent desperate hours realizing they might have to accommodate Howard's trade demand, then weathered an embarrassing public battle between their superstar and coach. Now they must go out of their way to protect him.

There's nothing more critical now than protecting their top asset, not only for themselves, but for other suitors.

Time to shut Dwight down for the season.

Hopefully, the Magic and Howard already have decided on this game plan. They just haven't announced it.

His health outweighs any puncher's chance the Magic have in the playoffs, especially now with injuries to Hedo Turkoglu and Big Baby Davis.

When your previously indestructible 26-year-old franchise player is laid up with a bad back, there's no other choice.

It's not a pretty picture, and it's in HD: Herniated Disk.

The playoffs start around the end of the month. In a season in which the Magic never had enough time to take a breath, time is what they need now for Howard to heal. And they don't have enough of it.

Dwight will rest for the next nine days and then will be re-evaluated. OK, that would put us just days before tip-off to the playoffs.

Even if Howard says he's feeling better, the Magic should end his season. The risk isn't worth the reward.

While seven other East teams are doubtlessly rooting for this decision, it's the most sensible and responsible one.

Does anybody really believe opposing centers won't be beating on Orlando's one-man team even harder in the postseason?

Have we forgotten the contact that Howard absorbs?

The refs swallow their whistles during the regular season, letting defenders use force because Howard is stronger than everyone.

Officials allow more rough-house play in the postseason. So how does a star with a back-to-the basket game not have a target on his back, literally?

Howard will take more punishment, considering teams love sending him to the free-throw line. As much as he's in the air, I always figured ankle sprains would derail him. But he's had an uncanny ability to avoid stepping on people's toes — well, at least on the court.

I say the NBA has to share some blame for Howard's injury. The league should have ordered its referees to monitor the kung-fu fighting in the paint closer during his eight years.

The NBA doesn't allow perimeter players to be manhandled — even if they're the size of LeBron. Howard maintains he was hurting before Mavs center Brendan Haywood popped him in the back, but Stan Van Gundy still believes the play was uncalled for.

You'd think the league would do a better job protecting not only its best big man, but one of its most marketable stars.

Howard has to think long and hard before subjecting his future to further pain. He has $200 million in contracts at stake. He'll enter another free-agent season here — unless he tells the Magic this summer that he'd rather be traded when they ask him to sign an extension.

I doubt any team would pass up the chance to acquire Howard, even if he were in a body cast. He has played before with various appendages aching, but his health now is an issue.

New website: StayUprightDwight.com

Dwight Howard has much more basketball to play --- whether it's for the Magic or someone else. Shut him down.